December 7th
by Irish Rose1
Summary: Rafe and Evelyn spend the last night of peace together.


Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and have used some dialog from the movie. If I have borrowed someone's ideas, I apologize. I have not read all of the posted stories. 

I was not happy with what happened to Rafe and Evelyn in the movie, so this is my version. 

Summary: In a continuation of my alternate story, Rafe and Evelyn spend the last night of peace together.

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It was a dream she'd had many times before. 

The night Rafe had told her he was going to England, they'd gone up to the hotel room to join the others, instead of her being left in the lobby. They'd stayed together the whole night and Rafe was able to show Evelyn how much he loved her. It was so real that she was always wakened out of a sound sleep. After he'd died, she would wake up crying because she knew they would never be together. 

But what happened after Rafe had found her was no dream. 

They'd walked from the hospital to his bungalow, where he'd dropped his gear before going to look for her. They were quiet for the most part as she held his hand and just enjoyed being close to him. When they reached the door of his room, she hesitated. Rafe took a loose lock of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. "I was a fool for leavin' you. I should have stayed instead of goin' off and tryin' to be a hero."

She squeezed his hand. "You went because they needed help and because you felt it was your duty. Remember what you told me during the eye exam? You were the best pilot in that room." That made him grin self consciously and made her smile. "That's why you went. Because the British needed the best pilots they could get if they were going to stand a chance." She hesitated for a moment, wanting what she said next to be perfect. " I am so proud of you and I love you so much. I wish I'd told you that before you left." 

He squeezed her hand in answer. "You didn't have to. I knew you did when you came to the train station after I'd asked you not to."

How did he know? "I thought I'd missed you."

He laughed. "You were standin' right next to me; all you had to do was look up." and without another word picked her up into his arms. She put her hand on his chest, to stop him. "What do you think you're doing, Lieutenant? "

He grinned at her. "It's top secret." and carried her inside.

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They talked a long time, lying together with Rafe's arms around her as he recounted his time with the Eagle Squadron. She got the sense he wasn't telling her everything, the same sense she'd gotten from his letters. But he told her enough to know that it had been much rougher than he had expected. He briefly touched on his last mission, when he had gotten shot down. "I got picked up by a French fishin' boat and was in occupied France. I couldn't get word out."

She looked into his eyes. "What's important is that you're here now, safe and with me." and she kissed him. It was Rafe's turn to ask her. "What do you think you're doing, Lieutenant?"

She laughed and repeated what he's told her earlier. "It's top secret." and kissed him again.

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The sun was just beginning to peak through the blinds and she lay very still, because she didn't want to wake him. Rafe had been restless through most of the night and she suspected he was reliving his crash into the Atlantic. She could feel him stir slightly and snuggled against his chest. "Are you a dream?" he asked her, his voice husky with sleep.

She could only smile and shake her head, "No." 

"I thought I'd died and gone to heaven." Evelyn stiffened at his joke, because she thought he had. Rafe realized what he'd said and immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't think." 

"I'm just glad you're here." and she tried to snuggle even closer. 

She could feel his arms tighten around her and heard him chuckle. "Evelyn, I'm not goin' anywhere."

She closed her eyes and began to drift back into a peaceful slumber, the first she'd had since he left. But no sooner had she closed her eyes than the telephone rang. Rafe reached for the receiver and commented, "This better be important."

"Does anyone know you're here?" she asked with a yawn.

Rafe looked at her and closed his eyes a moment, in what appeared to her as regret. "Danny." was all he said before he picked up the receiver. 

It **was** Danny. There wasn't much talk from Rafe's end; Danny must have been giving him an earful for not coming to see him. "Did you get my telegram?" he asked and there was silence from Rafe's end again. "I'm fine Danny, I swear. I'll tell you all about it, I promise." Another moment and he smiled. "She's fine and she's with me. Tell the other nurses they can stop worryin'." It was quiet before she heard Rafe say, "I'm glad to be home too, Danny. See you soon."

"Was he really upset?" she asked him as he put the receiver down.

"He was worried. He said he must have scoured every bar in Oahu looking for me. And the nurses were worried because you never made it home." he said with a grin. "If it's okay, we're goin' to meet at a diner near here. Do you know where the Black Cat Cafe is?"

"I do."

He grinned at her again. "Remember that phrase. It may come in handy."

"Oh, really?" she said. "And why is that?"

"Come on, lazy bones." was all he said. "We need to be there by seven thirty. " and he got out of bed.

Evelyn pulled the blanket over her head. "Seven-thirty on a Sunday morning. Are you serious?"

"Am I goin' to have to make that an order, Lieutenant?" she heard him say before she pushed the blanket back and sat up, just as the bathroom door closed. 

"All right, Lieutenant, you get your way." and she heard the shower. "Just don't use all the hot water!" 


End file.
